


Nightmares

by splkespiegel



Category: Cowboy Bebop
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-15
Updated: 2015-10-15
Packaged: 2018-04-26 11:07:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5002423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/splkespiegel/pseuds/splkespiegel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Spike could hardly remember a time before the nightmares, but he does remember something that used to help.<br/>This is mostly an excuse to write more fluffy/domestic Jet and Spike, pre-series.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nightmares

Spike could hardly remember a time before the nightmares. Years ago, in another life, he wasn’t kept up at night by the thought of the faces of innocent bystanders being killed, or by memories of falling and falling for what felt like an eternity. That Spike slept soundly, next to someone he trusted with his life.

But that wasn’t his reality anymore. His reality was being jolted awake at three in the morning in a cold sweat, memories he dared not think about on his mind and names he dared not speak on his lips, holding a hand over his fluttering heart to make sure it was still beating.

It wasn’t a frequent occurrence, at first – maybe one night terror every few weeks, and always something he could come back down from within five minutes. With time, however, they only became more frequent, more jarring, to the point that he couldn’t even lie back down after being torn from one. At that point he often found himself sitting on the very edge of his bed, every muscle in his body tensed, trying to think his way back into calmness. It almost never worked, but it did allow him to think of something that might.

That something came to him after waking up from a fitful dream about being burned alive. Once he had caught his breath and realized that he wasn’t actually on fire, he managed to stumble across the hall to Jet’s door. This kind of thing had worked in that other life – sleeping next to someone he trusted, that was. Then he had had two people he could trust enough to sleep near, but now he only had one.

“Jet?” He whispered, cracking the door open just enough to stick his head through the gap. “You up?”

Jet, lying on his bed with his eyes closed, didn’t budge. Of course he was asleep, Spike thought. It’s probably 4 AM. What the hell was he thinking anyway, trying to come in here for comfort….

“Mm.” Jet grunted. Spike froze, still poised to close the door and walk back to his own room. Jet still had his eyes shut, but he was clearly awake.

“Can’t sleep.” Spike said simply. Jet opened one eye to peer over at Spike. For a moment he thought that Jet might tell him to piss off and let him sleep, but Jet only sighed and lifted the edge of his comforter up. Spike took the invitation gladly, shutting the door behind him and nearly flopping onto the mattress.

Jet rolled back over to face the wall and mumbled something that may or may not have been a goodnight.

\--

Every few nights after that, Spike would wander into Jet’s room in the middle of the night, and Jet would always let him sleep there without asking any questions. By the fourth night, Jet had started to sleep facing him, and by the sixth Jet had started talking to him before they both fell asleep.

On the eighth night, Jet finally gave into his curiosity.

“Hey, Spike.” Jet said. The room was pitch black, but he could tell that Spike was staring at him.

“Yeah?” Spike replied, moving to lean on his elbow.

“Not that I mind…” Jet started, unsure of how to phrase his question. “Why do you sleep in here so much? You’ve got your own room, I don’t see how mine is any more appealing.”

Spike’s breath hitched in his throat. He considered bullshitting something just to get himself out of the spotlight, but he was far too tired to think of a viable excuse.

“The nightmares don’t wake me up when I sleep next to someone I trust.” He said, moving to lie on his back. “I don’t know why,”

Jet paused to ponder that. He was no stranger to nightmares – he was still shaken up by the ones about his ISSP days, however infrequent – but something about the way Spike had said it caught him off guard. Spike wasn’t one to be honest or serious about anything, and then he came out with that.

“You can keep sleeping in here if you want.” Jet said, finally. “If it helps, then I don’t mind.”

Spike let out a shaky breath and rolled over to face Jet again. He brought his hands up, intending for a moment to wrap his arms around Jet’s waist, but stopped himself before he could do it.

Jet smiled and took Spike’s hands into his own, resting them on his hips for him. “It’s fine. Really, it is.” He said, snaking an arm under Spike and resting his hand on the small of his back.

Spike grinned and settled into the embrace. “That’s good to hear.”


End file.
